Name: YouTube attacks Australias underage social media ban
Uploaded: 2025-12-03T20:18:43.813Z
Duration: 2 min 8 s
Description: Google subsidiary YouTube has criticized an Australian law banning social media accounts for under-16s, arguing the legislation set to start Dec 10 makes young users of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube less safe.

Google subsidiary YouTube has criticized an Australian law banning social media accounts for under-16s, arguing the legislation set to start Dec 10 makes young users of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube less safe.

Canberra

Australia is set to enforce a new law from December 10 that will log out and lock social media accounts for users under the age of 16. YouTube has criticized the move, claiming it could reduce online safety for young users by removing access to protective account features. 

The Australian communications minister responded by highlighting the responsibility of platforms to ensure safety, especially in a logged-out state. Despite a legal challenge led by a 15-year-old arguing the ban infringes on young people's rights, the government remains firm on implementing the policy, which is drawing international attention.

YouTube attacks Australia's underage social media ban

A looming ban that has the whole world watching. From the 10th of December, hundreds of thousands of Australians will see their social media accounts automatically logged out and locked until their 16th birthday. Younger users will still be able to access some social media sites, but without their own registered accounts. Streaming giant YouTube has lashed out at the Australian government, saying the law will actually make younger users less safe by removing access to account features such as safety filters. But Australia's communications minister was quick to point out the irony in their criticism. I'm going to level with you. I find it outright weird that YouTube is always at pains to remind us all how unsafe their platform is in a logged out state. And if YouTube even this morning is reminding us all that it is not safe and that there is content not appropriate for age-restricted users on their website, then that is a problem that YouTube needs to fix. Even many of the teenagers who will be directly affected agree, but they say they don't understand why they are the ones being targeted, rather than the platforms themselves. Fifteen-year-old Noah Jones has taken the government all the way to Australia's High Court, arguing that the ban will undermine the constitutional rights of young Australians by silencing their voices. We should be cutting off the bad things about social media, the online bullies, the predators and the explicit content. It just doesn't make sense why we're disconnected from the world and the harmful people and the harmful explicit content isn't the one suffering from this ban, it's us. Despite the legal challenge, the Australian government is adamant it will enforce the ban from December 10th. And the case will be closely watched by governments around the world, who may seek to follow in Australia's footsteps.

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